Automatic train-stop device.



G. H. ENNIS. UTOMATIG TRAIN STOP DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED 001. 4, 191a.

Patented Mefy 26, 1914.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Snow/"tot G1! E N N Is APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 4, 1913.

Patented May 26, 1914. s SHEETS-SHEET 2 Wu 2 one Mm m V Q Gum/nu;

I G. H. ENNIS.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN STOP DEVICE.

\ APPLIGATION II'LED 001. 4, 1913.

Patented May 2 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

an no nto'o H. E r- N us flt'coamag TTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. ENNIS, OF DERBY, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-STOP DEVICE.

1 ,oomssa.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, Gnoncn H ENNIS, citizen of the United States, residing at .Derby, in the county of New Haven and 'State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Train-Stop Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic train stop devices and hasfor its primary object to provide mechanism controlled by the signal operator or tower-man whereby the steam supply for the. locomotive engine is automatically cut off and the brakes applied to quickly bring the train to a stop when danger of collision or wreck is imminent.

My invention has for a more spec fic object the provision of mechanism carried by theengine forcutting oil the steam, operating a whistle and applying the brakes, and a trip device arranged in the track and operated from the signal tower whereby said mechanism isactuated, said mechanism including means for holding the parts in their operative positions until released by the engineer or one of the train crew.

My invention has for a still further ob ect to provide a device for the above purpose which consists of comparatively few parts all of simple form whereby the invention may be manufactured and installed at comparatively small cost.

'lVith the above and otherobjectsin v ew as will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, combinations and arrange ments of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to, the following description and accompanying drawings, in

. which side elevation of the trip device; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 ofFig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6 6 of Specification of Letters Patent.

9 is also fixed to the under Patented May. 26, 1914.

Application filed October 4, 1913. Serial No. 793,449

tially V shaped bracket 7 is secured to the bottom of the cab floor and depends therefrom. The arms of this bracket are preferably composed of two sections, the lower sections being adjustable upon the upper sections which are secured to thecab floor and rigidly held in their adjusted positions by'means of the bolts 8. A depending bar the bolt 11. The bar 9 and the upper bracket sections 7 are each provided with a series of openings to receive the fastening bolts, 11 and 8 in the adjustment of the lower bar sections as will be readily understood.

Upon the lower end of the hanger bar 10, the foot member 12 is pivoted as indicated at 13, said member having a shank, vthe upper end of which is angularly disposed as at- 14. Upon the lower end of said shank, the metal block or enlargement 15 is formed. The hanger bar 10 is provided adjacent its lower end with a lateral extension 16 which is adapted to be secured to the connected ends of the lower sections of the bracket 7, asclearly shown in Fig. 1, and upon the bolt 17 connecting 'said extension to the bracket, the catch lever 18 is pivotally provided with a laterally disposed arm 19 to which the lower end of a rod 20 is loosely connected. This rod extends u Wardly through the cab floor and is' provi ed with a foot plate 21, between which and the floor, a coil spring 22 is arranged upon said rod. The lower end of the catch-lever 18 is provided with a laterally disposed lug 23 with which a pin 24 projecting from the shank of the foot member 12 is adapted to be engaged. A coil spring 25 is attached at one of its ends to the bracket 7 and has its other end connected to the catch lever 18, said spring being adapted to hold the lever yieldingly against movement and in vertical parallel relation to the hanger bar 10. I

Through a suitable guide member 26 arside of the cab V 'mounted. The upper end of this lever is ranged in the cab of the locomotive, operating wires or cables 27, 28 and 29 extend. The wire 27 is connected to the throttle valve lever indicated at 30 and to said wire an additional wire 27 is connected at one of its ends and extends through a guide eye locomotive engine. The wire 28 extends upwardly through the top of the locomotive cab and isattached to one arm or a lever 33, said wire extending from the. lever arm to the whistle indicated at 34 on the steam dome of the locomotive boiler. .The usual pull cord is connected to the other arm of the lever 33, whereby the whistle may be operated at the will of the engineer. The other of the wires or cables 29 extends from the guide member 26 to the air control valve indicated at 35, through the medi'um of which the air brakes may be applied.

The mechanism above described is adapted to be automatically actuated by means arranged in the track, either between the rails thereof or at one side off the track, as may be preferred. This operating means em bodies the trip rails 36 which are arranged I longitudinally of the track'and pivotally connected together at their opposed ends as shown at 37. The other ends of the trip rails 36 are slidingly engaged upon a plate 36. 38 designates a vertically movable rod provided with a head 39 upon its upper end loosely connected to the pivot 37. The lower portion of this rod is housed within a suitable casing in which a cam member 40 is arranged. To said cam member oppositely extendinglevers 41 are rigidly secured. The lower end of the rod 38 is held in engagement with the periphery of the cam member by means of a coil spring 42 arranged upon said rod between the' to wall of the casing within which the rod 1s housed and an annular flange or collar 43 formed upon the lower end of said rod. Wires 44 extend from the respective levers 41 to the signal operators tower, and these wires may be connected to and actuated simultaneously with other signaling devices such as are now ingeneral use, or independently thereof. The tiiip rails 3'6 may' be located at any'desired point between the signal stations and as. far distant therefrol as may be deemed expedient.

From the above description, the constrjuc t1on and manner of operation of the invert,

tion will be readily understood, When'it is desired to bring the train to a stop, the tower-man operates the proper lever to exert a pull upon the wire 44 and rotate the cam member 40, thereby lifting the rod 38' and elevating the trip rails Boat their pivotally connected ends so that said trip rails will be disposed at an inclination in opposite directions from their pivot 37. As the train approaches the trip, the enlarged lower end 15 'of the foot member 12 rides upwardly-u on the inclined trip rail 36 to the point of ighest elevation thereof. During this movement of the foot member upon the trip rail, said member is swung rearwardly from its pivot 13 until the pin 24 is engaged by the lower end of the catch lever 18, said foot member thus being disposed in a substantially horizontal position. In this rearward movement of the lower end of the foot member, the angular portion 14 of the shank thereof is thrown downwardly, thus causing a downward pull upon the wires 27, 28 and 29 and simultaneously operating the throttle lever 30 to cut ofi the steam supply, operating the steam whistle 34 and also the air valve 35 to apply the air brakes of the locomotive. It will be observed that the angular portion 14 of the foot member 12 is provided with a series of openings 45 and if desired, all or any one of the wires 27 ,28

and 29 may be connected to these openings so that the parts actuated thereby will not be completely operated, and thereby only .portion 14 of said member. The downward movement of the angular shank 14 of the member 12 is cushioned by means of a spring-49 which is arranged in a stirrup 50, the upper ends of which are fixed to the bracket 7.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings, I have shown a portion of the above described mechanism applied to a train coach for applying the brakes.thereof. In said figures, the foot member 12 is the .only part of the mechanism above described which it is necessary to em'ploy. This member is mountednpon a housing'arranged beneath and attached to the bottom of the coach, as above described, and the angularly disposed arm 14 of thefoot member has a single wire or cable 47 connected thereto, the other end of said cable being attached to the, valve operating lever 48. When this lever is actuated, the air brakes are applied in the usual manner.

It will be understood that no means is reuired to retain the foot member 12 in position to which it is moved by engagement with the trip rails 36 ,'as the air is instantaneously released and thebrakes-applied upon the actuation of said foot member. It will be seen that by providing the adjustable bracket 7 and hanger bar 10, the foot member may be disposed in the desired position with relation to the trip device so that said member will be properly moved by the rail 36 upon its engagement therewith.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a simple, durable and highly efiicient mechanism for quickly stopping a. train whereby collisions or wrecks and loss of life incident thereto may be ob viated. It will be understood that the invention is applicable to electrically operated trains as well as to steam operated lines.

While I have shown and described the preferred form and construction of the several elements employed, it will be understood that my invention is susceptible of considerable therefore reserve the right to resort to all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention, as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. The combination of a depending bracket carried by a train, a banfulcrumed intermediate of its ends upon-said bracket and having one of its ends laterally extended to form a toe, the other end of said-bar projecting at an oblique angle with respect to the toe portion ofthe bar from the fulcrum thereof, a spring connected'to said bracket and to the oblique portion. of the modification therein and I with means on said bar and hold'the toe in the position to which it is moved by said trip member, and means for manually operating the catch device to release said bar and permit the toe to assume its normal position.

2. The combination of a pivotally mounted foot member carried by a train, said member including an arm extending at an angle upon one side of its pivot, connecting means between said arm and the part to be operated, a fixed stirrup in which said arm is movable, a trip device arranged in the track to be engaged by the foot member whereby said member is moved to' actuate said parts, a spring} l arranged in the stirrup and engaged by't e angular arm of said member to cushion its movement, a spring held catch lever to engage and hold said foot member against return to its normal position, and means foroperating the catch lever to release the foot member.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratentl,

Washington, D. G. 

